Northern Lights Council #429

MAILINGS TO PARTICIPANTS

Greetings All!

All of our receipts have been turned in and received at the National Office. I've very excited that Pa-Hin will be sending 21 people in its NOAC Contingent - that's great news!! Attached is a roster of everyone who has signed up to go to NOAC.

In the coming months, we'll be preparing for NOAC. I'm pleased that Adam Trapp has agreed to serve as the NOAC Youth Contingent Leader. He will be leading the group in finalizing our travel plans and determining what events the Lodge wants to participate in.

All materials that need to be mailed in for NOAC should be sent to the Fargo Scout Office, 301 South 7th St, Fargo ND 58103 -- please label all envelopes as "OA - NOAC" to ensure it is routed properly.

There are some initial action items:

• NOAC Delegate Registration (due April 1) -- NOAC requires that each individual go online to complete their Delegate Registration. Signup for all of the NOAC training sessions and events is completed through this online system. Please complete the entire registration process by April 1st. This will allow you to sign up for events, trainings and games as soon as they are available. Instructions are attached (your login ID is included on the roster)

• Medical Forms (due July 1) -- everyone should have received the new Boy Scout Medical Form -- this is the only form that will be excepted at NOAC. Please make sure to have all sections of the form (including physician signature) before July 1st of this year. Please send in your medical form to the Fargo Scout Office (please mark this as a "OA - NOAC") by July 1st.

• NOAC Code of Conduct (due July 1)-- once you have completed the Delegate Registration, you will be able to view and download the NOAC Code of Conduct. Please review the form and complete all fields. If you are under, your parent/legal guardian must also sign. Everyone must have two (2) individuals who are over the age of 18 witness this form. Please complete the form and send in with your Medical form no later than July 1st.

• Conference Fee Payment Schedule (due May 15)-- The Conference Fee (for National only - not including travel) is $395. Your $100 deposit is applied to the Conference Fee. The remaining $295 must be received at the Fargo Office by May 15, 2009. Anyone with a payment received after that date will incur a minimum $100 late fee. Checks should be made out to the Northern Lights Council, with NOAC Registration in the memo section. These fees do not include any travel costs.

• Fundraising - several individuals have asked about fundraising to assist in the cost of the trip. If you have ideas for fundraising, please contact Adam Trapp and myself, as we will need someone to help coordinate the fundraising efforts.

Some other items we've been working on:

• NOAC Flaps -- Pa-Hin will be working on a special, limited edition flap for NOAC. Expect to see something in late March

• Travel Schedule & Costs - we are currently working on a travel schedule and hope to have the driving plan and cost estimates to everyone in the next months. We anticipate the travel cost to be less than $350. More details to come

• NOAC Contingent Meeting -- we'd like to have a meeting for the NOAC Contingent, though not sure when/where yet. If you have ideas/suggestions on times and places that work best for you, please send them in. A contingent meeting is a great opportunity to meet everyone who we'll be traveling with and answer any questions about NOAC

If you have additional questions/comments/concerns, please feel free to contact me directly via email of phone

Mailing 1 - Introduction to NOAC

I hope your excited for NOAC 2009. Each of you has submitted a deposit and Pa-Hin has actually filled it's initial quota of 18 slots. We'll actually be requesting a couple more slots to hopefully fill out the contingent and bring the numbers up to 21!

A couple of housekeeping items first:

• Travel: We're still working on the travel schedule, to see what will work the most efficiently. If you have ideas, feel free to share them. The initial plan right now is to leave on either Thursday, July 30th or Friday, July 31st and arrive at NOAC in the late afternoon on Saturday. Because of Boy Scout regulations on driving time in one day, we need to plan on how far we can drive in a single day. We plan on returning probably on Sunday, August 9th. More details to come.

• Costs:

  • NOAC Fee: Each of you has submitted the first $100 deposit to reserve your spot at NOAC. The other portion of the NOAC fee is $295 and is due in to the Fargo Office by May 15th. There is a $100 late fee that is assessed if you are late on the second payment.

  • Travel Costs: Once we can pin down the travel schedule, we'll be able to give you a cost number. Of course, costs may vary if gas prices rise substantially. We'll do our best to give you an accurate picture so that you can budget.

• Uniforms: Every day, you will be wearing the full Scout Uniform. This includes the "Class A" Scout Shirt, the Scout Pants/Shorts, OA Sash and accessories appropriate to your troop. For any of the seminars/training sessions and the OA Shows (at least 5 days) you are required to wear the full Uniform. We recommend at least 2 full uniforms (shirt, pants/shorts). To help with this expense, the council has allowed us to purchase uniforms through them at a reduced cost(similar to how Camp Wilderness Staff do). The uniform order form is attached and must be in to the Fargo Office no later than April 1. Checks must be included made out the the Northern Lights Council.

• Medical Form: Every participant must have an up-to-date Medical form. The Boy Scouts have issued a new medical form (replacing the Class III) that MUST be used -- no exceptions. The new medical form is attached. Please plan on completing your physical and sending a copy of your form by June 1st.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself via email or on my mobile phone at (952) 270-8146.

Contact Information (for before NOAC and during the event)

Nick Pedersen, Associate Lodge Advisor

(952) 270-8146  (mobile)

nick.pedersen@gmail.com